Hatton Garden heist gang have to pay back £14m to avoid more jail time

The gang behind Britian’s biggest ever burglary have been told to pay back £14 million or face more time in jail, a confiscation hearing has heard.

Five of the men jailed for their role in the Hatton Garden heist, have been warned they will also lose their homes, cars and other assets, if they do not compensate the victims of the raid.

The total value of goods taken during the daring infamous raid, which took place during Easter weekend in 2015, has been estimated at more than £25 million.

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Only £4 million of cash and goods have been returned to their owners since the heist, with two thirds of the valuables still unaccounted for.

The so called ‘Diamond Wheezers’. Brian Reader, 78, John Collins, 75, Terry Perkins, 67, and 61-year-old Daniel Jones, were all jailed for between six and seven years for their role and are being pursued by the authorities to return their ill-gotten gains.

The case against fellow gang member, William Lincoln, is still subject to “conversations” between the various parties.

According to the Telegraph, prosecutors argued at a hearing at Woolwich Crown Court yesterday that the figure they had arrived at, which they were claiming the gang should repay, was just over £13.6m.

After a morning of legal argument, the prosecutor Philip Evans said – as reported by the Telegraph: “Our discussions have borne fruit and in relation to the aspect of a benefit figure has been agreed at £13,690,331.75p.

“The amount to be repaid by those individuals remains subject to argument, that figure of £13.69m to an amount ordered in terms of benefit for those jointly in relation to Collins, Jones and Perkins. That figure also could include Mr Reader but that is a subject to an argument. In relation to Lincoln, matters are still part of negotiations and conversations.”

A judge will have to decide how much each gang member must pay back or serve longer in prison in default of payment.